Process of reducing cuprous chlorid.



- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

REDERICK LAIST, 01E ANiAGON 'DA, MONTANA.

"PROCESS OF REDUCING CUPBOUS CHLORID.

No Drawing.

particularly directed to the conversion into metallic copper, of .thc cuprous chlorid precipitated from solutions of oxidized copper ores asdescribed 111 my U. S. Patent, Number 903.732, dated November 10. 1908. M

The object of the present improvement is to subject the copper sub-chlorid or cuprous chlorid thus obtained to the action of reducing reagents in' a suitable metallurgical furnace with a view not only of recovering the metallic. copper, but with a view of regenerating the chlorid salt employed in the patent process for purposes of chloridizing the solution'of oxidized copper from which the sub-chlorid is subsequently prev cipitated. The present improvement thus forms an extension of the patent process in that it supplies to said original process the soluble salts necessary to bring about the chloridization of the solution of the oxidized copper ores treated by saidprocess.

The advantages of the improvement will be fully apparent. from a detailed description thereof, which is asfoll ows:

Tn the practice of my invention the precipitate of cuprous chlorid or sub-chlorid u th) recovered under my patent process is collected on a vacuum filter (preferably) where it is washed with a little water, the washing process leaving the precipitate moist. The moist In'ecipitate is then mixed with fin'ely ground calcium I carbonate (GaCO,,) preferably in the form of limestone, of which there is added about ten per cent. more than the theoretical quantity necessary to efl'ect the desired reaction between the compounds, thereby insuring the presence of'sutlicient. alkali to combine with the cuprous chlorid. \Vith the calcium carbonate is added finely ground coal, coke, or other quivalent carbonaceous reducing reagent. The ingredients are thoroughly and intimately mixed and the resulting, mass is preferably made into lumps of briquets by adding a suitable binder such as Portland cement, the binder being added 1n sufficient Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 30, 1914. Serial No. 835,338.

quantities (say about; four per cent.) to bring. about the. desired result. The lumps are then placed in a suitable metallurgical furnace of the reverberatory or" blast furnace type, and fused. The result of the fusion is a slag of calcium chlorid and a button of metallic copper as Will be clear from the following reaction:

This slag .is then removed, and when cooled it is leached with water. The slag is composed principally of calcium chlorid and when leached with .Water supplies a strong solution of this salt for chloridizing the solution of the oxidized copper ores treated by my patent process aforesaid. In said process, it will beremembered, use is made, of dilute sulfuric acid as the immediate solvent for the oxidized ores, sufficient chlorin (in the form of a soluble chlorid) being added to bring about the conversion of the soluble copper salts into the insoluble sub-chlorid, such conversion being effected, as a reference to-the patent will show, in the presence of sulfur dioxid. The formation of the mass into lumps or vbriquets is of coursenot absolutely necessary, but is eminently desirable, because better handled for purposes of charging the same into thesmelting furnace.

In lieu of limestone (Ca-CO I may of course substitute a carbonate of an'alkali, such as carbonate of sodium, in which event the slag resulting from the fusion with the cuprous chlorid would be sodium chlorid, the solution of which could be used as the chloridizing agent in connection with the sulfuric acid solvent under my patented process. V here carbonate of sodium is used the reaction of fusion would be substantially as follows:

Patented July 28, 1914.

I may in fact substitute for the calcium tion, the object sought being to produce, as

a resultofthe fusion with the cuprous chlorid, a soluble chlorid for chloridizing the solution from which the copper is precupi JllS chlorid with a suitable re ucingagent and with a n Lallic compound react.- ing therewith to form a'chlor-id slag corresponding in composition to the soluble chlorid aforesaid, and to "educesaidcu-' prous chlorid to the metal .c state.

2.111 the treatment of cuprous chlorid precipitated from solutions containing a soluble chlorid, the process of fusing said cuprous chlorid with carbonaceous matter, a d

with a metallic compound reacting therewi h to form a chlorid slagv correspondi g in composition .to the soluble'chlori'cl afo; esaid,

and to reduce said cuprous chlorid to the" metallic state.

3; In the treatment of cupi'ous chlorid precipitated from leaching solutions containing chlorin, the process-of fusin said cuprous chlorid with a suitable re ucing agent, and with a metallic compound react ing therewith to extract the chlorin from said cuprous chlorid for use in subsequent leaching'operations, and to reduce said cu- 'prous chlorid to the metallic state.

4. In the treatment of cuprous chlorid precipitated from leaching solutions con-' taining a soluble metallic chlorid, the process of fusing said cuprous'chloridwith a suitable carbonaceous reagent, and With"&, metallic carbonate reactiii therewith to combine with the chlorin the cuprous chlorid and form a chlorid for use in subsequent leaching operations, and to reduce said cuprous chlorid to the metallic state.

5. In the treatment of cuprous chlorid precipitated from leaching solutions containing a soluble metallic chlorid, the process of fusing said cuprous chlorid with a suitableearbonaceous reagent, and with a carbonate of an alkaline earth whereby the soluble metallic chlorid is regenerated as a chlorid of the alkaline earth, and the euprous chlorid is reduced to the metallic statel 6.1111 the treatment of cuprous chlorid precipitated from leaching solutions containing calcium chlorid, theprocess of mixing said precipitate. with limestone in a finely dividedstate. and in excess of the.

theoretical quantity necessary to eifect the desired reaction, and with a suitable pro-' portionof carbonaceous matter, subjecting the mixture to fusion, removing the resulting slag of calcium chlorid for use in subsequent leaching operations, and recovering the metallic copper resulting from thefusion aforesaid. e

'7. In the treatrrientoI-cuprous chlorid precipitated from leaching solutions conining chlorin,.the process of fusing said ,prous chlorid with carbonaceous matter,

and with ar oXygenatedmetaHic compound reacting in the presence of vthe carbon to extract the chlorin from said cuprous chlorid for use insubsequent leaching operations, and to .duce said cuprous'chlorid to the metallic state, and recovering the metalliccopper resulting from said fusion.

Intestimony whereofl afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

' FREDERICK LAIST.

- Witnesses: MARTIN MARTIN,

nWILLIAM H. SHEERIN. 

